Alma Maritime readies to cut cape fleet in half

Stamatis Molaris-led Alma Maritime is back in the S&P market. Broker sources tell Splash that the wet and dry outfit is attempting to cut its cape fleet in two, circulating its youngest bulker, the nine-year-old, Korean-built 180,100 dwt Cape Leonidas for sale. Online portal VesselsValue reckons the vessel is worth around $22m, about one third of what the Greek outfit paid for it from the yard back in 2010.

In May, Alma Maritime made headlines selling its oldest capesize, securing $12m for the 2003-built, 176,298 dwt Iron Fritz. This sale was soon followed in July with the 170,000 dwt Cape Maria, which went to Greek peers for $13.8m.

The expected sale of the Cape Leonidas will leave the private outfit with one 14-year-old cape and four suezmaxes.

Hans Henrik Thaulow is an Oslo-based journalist who has been covering the shipping industry for the last 15 years. As well as some work for the Informa Group, Hans was the China correspondent for TradeWinds. He also contributes to Maritime CEO magazine. Hans’ shipping background extends to working as a shipbroker trainee with Simpson, Spence & Young in Hong Kong.